Sec. 206. Sense of Congress on overall support for research
infrastructure at the Foundation.

Title III—STEM Education and Workforce Training

Sec. 301. Graduate student support.

Sec. 302. Postdoctoral fellowship in STEM education
research.

Sec. 303. Robert Noyce teacher scholarship program.

Sec. 304. Institutions serving persons with
disabilities.

Sec. 305. Institutional integration.

Sec. 306. Postdoctoral research fellowships.

Sec. 307. Broadening participation training and
outreach.

I

General
Provisions

101.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Director

The
term Director means the Director of the National Science
Foundation established under section 2 of the National Science Foundation Act
of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861).

(2)

Foundation

The
term Foundation means the National Science Foundation
established under section 2 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42
U.S.C. 1861).

(3)

Institution of
higher education

The term institution of higher
education has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

(4)

State

The
term State means one of the several States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other territory
or possession of the United States.

(5)

STEM

The
term STEM means science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.

(6)

United
States

The term United States means the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.

102.

Authorization
of appropriations

(a)

Fiscal year
2011

(1)

In
general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation
$8,219,670,000 for fiscal year 2011.

(2)

Specific
allocations

Of the amount authorized under paragraph (1)—

(A)

$6,600,000,000
shall be made available for research and related activities;

(B)

$1,104,000,000
shall be made available for education and human resources;

(C)

$166,000,000 shall
be made available for major research equipment and facilities
construction;

(D)

$330,000,000 shall
be made available for agency operations and award management;

(E)

$4,840,000 shall
be made available for the Office of the National Science Board; and

(F)

$14,830,000 shall
be made available for the Office of Inspector General.

(b)

Fiscal year
2012

(1)

In
general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation
$8,932,080,000 for fiscal year 2012.

(2)

Specific
allocations

Of the amount authorized under paragraph (1)—

(A)

$7,128,000,000
shall be made available for research and related activities;

(B)

$1,192,320,000
shall be made available for education and human resources;

(C)

$235,000,000 shall
be made available for major research equipment and facilities
construction;

(D)

$356,400,000 shall
be made available for agency operations and award management;

(E)

$5,010,000 shall
be made available for the Office of the National Science Board; and

(F)

$15,350,000 shall
be made available for the Office of Inspector General.

(c)

Fiscal year
2013

(1)

In
general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation
$9,555,160,000 for fiscal year 2013.

(2)

Specific
allocations

Of the amount authorized under paragraph (1)—

(A)

$7,626,960,000
shall be made available for research and related activities;

(B)

$1,275,780,000
shall be made available for education and human resources;

(C)

$250,000,000 shall
be made available for major research equipment and facilities
construction;

(D)

$381,350,000 shall
be made available for agency operations and award management;

(E)

$5,180,000 shall
be made available for the Office of the National Science Board; and

(F)

$15,890,000 shall
be made available for the Office of Inspector General.

(d)

Fiscal year
2014

(1)

In
general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation
$10,112,940,000 for fiscal year 2014.

(2)

Specific
allocations

Of the amount authorized under paragraph (1)—

(A)

$8,084,580,000
shall be made available for research and related activities;

(B)

$1,352,330,000
shall be made available for education and human resources;

(C)

$250,000,000 shall
be made available for major research equipment and facilities
construction;

(D)

$404,230,000 shall
be made available for agency operations and award management;

(E)

$5,370,000 shall
be made available for the Office of the National Science Board; and

(F)

$16,440,000 shall
be made available for the Office of Inspector General.

(e)

Fiscal year
2015

(1)

In
general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Foundation
$10,704,180,000 for fiscal year 2015.

(2)

Specific
allocations

Of the amount authorized under paragraph (1)—

(A)

$8,569,650,000
shall be made available for research and related activities;

(B)

$1,433,470,000
shall be made available for education and human resources;

(C)

$250,000,000 shall
be made available for major research equipment and facilities
construction;

(D)

$428,480,000 shall
be made available for agency operations and award management;

(E)

$5,550,000 shall
be made available for the Office of the National Science Board; and

(F)

$17,020,000 shall
be made available for the Office of Inspector General.

103.

National
Science Board administrative amendments

(a)

Staffing at the
National Science Board

Section 4(g) of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(g)) is amended by striking not
more than 5.

(b)

Science and
Engineering Indicators due date

Section 4(j)(1) of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(1)) is amended by striking
January 15 and inserting May 31.

(c)

National Science
Board Reports

Section 4(j)(2)
of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(2)) is
amended by inserting within the authority of the Foundation (or
otherwise as requested by the Congress or the President) after
individual policy matters.

(d)

Board Adherence
to Sunshine Act

Section 15(a)
of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C.
1862n–5(a)) is amended—

(1)

by striking
paragraph (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs (3) and
(4), respectively;

(2)

in paragraph (3),
as so redesignated by paragraph (1) of this subsection—

(A)

by striking
February 15 and inserting April 15; and

(B)

by striking
audit required under paragraph (3) along with; and

(3)

in paragraph (4), as so redesignated by
paragraph (1) of this subsection, by striking To facilitate the audit
required under paragraph (3) of this subsection, the and inserting
The.

104.

Broader impacts
review criterion

(a)

Goals

The
Foundation shall apply a Broader Impacts Review Criterion to achieve the
following goals:

(1)

Increased economic
competitiveness of the United States.

(2)

Development of a
globally competitive STEM workforce.

(3)

Increased
participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM.

(4)

Increased
partnerships between academia and industry.

(5)

Improved K–12 STEM
education and teacher development.

(6)

Improved
undergraduate STEM education.

(7)

Increased public
scientific literacy.

(8)

Increased national
security.

(b)

Policy

Not
later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
develop and implement a policy for the Broader Impacts Review Criterion
that—

(1)

provides for
educating professional staff at the Foundation, merit review panels, and
applicants for Foundation research grants on the policy developed under this
subsection;

(2)

clarifies that the
activities of grant recipients undertaken to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review
Criterion shall—

(A)

to the extent
practicable employ proven strategies and models and draw on existing programs
and activities; and

(B)

when novel
approaches are justified, build on the most current research results;

(3)

allows for some
portion of funds allocated to broader impacts under a research grant to be used
for assessment and evaluation of the broader impacts activity;

(4)

encourages institutions of higher education
and other nonprofit organizations to develop and provide, either as individual
institutions or in partnerships thereof, appropriate training and programs to
assist Foundation-funded principal investigators at their institutions in
achieving the goals of the Broader Impacts Review Criterion as described in
subsection (a); and

(5)

requires principal
investigators applying for Foundation research grants to provide evidence of
institutional support for the portion of the investigator’s proposal designed
to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review Criterion, including evidence of relevant
training, programs, and other institutional resources available to the
investigator from either their home institution or organization or another
institution or organization with relevant expertise.

II

Research and
Innovation

201.

Support for
potentially transformative research

(a)

Policy

The Director shall establish a policy that
requires the Foundation to use at least 5 percent of its research budget to
fund basic, high-risk, high-reward research proposals. Support for facilities
and infrastructure, including preconstruction design and operations and
maintenance of major research facilities, shall not be counted as part of the
research budget for the purposes of this section.

support workshops
and participate in conferences with the primary purpose of identifying new
opportunities for high-risk, high-reward research, especially at
interdisciplinary interfaces.

(c)

Definition

For purposes of this section, the term
high-risk, high-reward research means research driven by ideas
that have the potential to radically change our understanding of an important
existing scientific or engineering concept, or leading to the creation of a new
paradigm or field of science or engineering, and that is characterized by its
challenge to current understanding or its pathway to new frontiers.

202.

Facilitating
interdisciplinary collaborations for national needs

(a)

In
general

The Director shall
award competitive, merit-based awards in amounts not to exceed $5,000,000 over
a period of up to 5 years to interdisciplinary research collaborations that are
likely to assist in addressing critical challenges to national security,
competitiveness, and societal well-being and that—

(1)

involve at least 2 co-equal principal
investigators at the same or different institutions;

(2)

draw upon
well-integrated, diverse teams of investigators, including students or
postdoctoral researchers, from one or more disciplines; and

(3)

foster creativity
and pursue high-risk, high-reward research.

(b)

Priority

In
selecting grant recipients under this section, the Director shall give priority
to applicants that propose to use advances in cyberinfrastructure and
simulation-based science engineering.

203.

National Science
Foundation manufacturing research

The Director shall carry out a program to
award merit-reviewed, competitive grants to institutions of higher education to
support fundamental research leading to transformative advances in
manufacturing technologies, processes, and enterprises that will support United
States manufacturing through improved performance, productivity,
sustainability, and competitiveness. Research areas may include—

(1)

nanomanufacturing;

(2)

manufacturing and
construction machines and equipment, including robotics, automation, and other
intelligent systems;

(3)

manufacturing
enterprise systems;

(4)

advanced sensing
and control techniques;

(5)

materials
processing; and

(6)

information
technologies for manufacturing, including predictive and real-time models and
simulations, and virtual manufacturing.

204.

Strengthening
institutional research partnerships

(a)

In
general

For any Foundation
research grant, in an amount greater than $2,000,000, to be carried out through
a partnership that includes one or more minority-serving institutions or
predominantly undergraduate institutions and one or more institutions described
in subsection (b), the Director shall award funds directly, according to the
budget justification described in the grant proposal, to at least two of the
institutions of higher education in the partnership, including at least one
minority-serving institution or one predominantly undergraduate institution, to
ensure a strong and equitable partnership.

(b)

Institutions

The
institutions referred to in subsection (a) are institutions of higher education
that are among the 100 institutions receiving, over the 3-year period
immediately preceding the awarding of grants, the highest amount of research
funding from the Foundation.

205.

National
Science Board report on mid-scale instrumentation

(a)

Mid-Scale
research instrumentation needs

The National Science Board shall
evaluate the needs, across all disciplines supported by the Foundation, for
mid-scale research instrumentation that falls between the instruments funded by
the Major Research Instrumentation program and the very large projects funded
by the Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction program.

(b)

Report on
mid-Scale research instrumentation program

Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the National Science Board shall submit to Congress a
report on mid-scale research instrumentation at the Foundation. At a minimum,
this report shall include—

(1)

the findings from
the Board’s evaluation of instrumentation needs required under subsection (a),
including a description of differences across disciplines and Foundation
research directorates;

(2)

a
recommendation or recommendations regarding how the Foundation should set
priorities for mid-scale instrumentation across disciplines and Foundation
research directorates;

(3)

a recommendation or recommendations
regarding the appropriateness of expanding existing programs, including the
Major Research Instrumentation program or the Major Research Equipment and
Facilities Construction program, to support more instrumentation at the
mid-scale;

(4)

a recommendation or recommendations
regarding the need for and appropriateness of a new, Foundation-wide program or
initiative in support of mid-scale instrumentation, including any
recommendations regarding the administration of and budget for such a program
or initiative and the appropriate scope of instruments to be funded under such
a program or initiative; and

(5)

any recommendation or recommendations
regarding other options for supporting mid-scale research instrumentation at
the Foundation.

206.

Sense of
Congress on overall support for research infrastructure at the
Foundation

It is the sense of
Congress that the Foundation should strive to keep the percentage of the
Foundation budget devoted to research infrastructure in the range of 24 to 27
percent, as recommended in the 2003 National Science Board report entitled
Science and Engineering Infrastructure for the 21st
Century.

III

STEM Education
and Workforce Training

301.

Graduate
student support

(a)

Finding

The
Congress finds that—

(1)

the Integrative
Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program is an important program for
training the next generation of scientists and engineers in team-based
interdisciplinary research and problem solving, and for providing them with the
many additional skills, such as communication skills, needed to thrive in
diverse STEM careers; and

(2)

the Integrative
Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program is no less valuable to the
preparation and support of graduate students than the Foundation’s Graduate
Research Fellowship program.

(b)

Equal treatment
of IGERT and GRF

Beginning in fiscal year 2011, the Director
shall increase or, if necessary, decrease funding for the Foundation’s
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship program (or any program
by which it is replaced) at least at the same rate as it increases or decreases
funding for the Graduate Research Fellowship program.

(c)

Support for
graduate student research from the research account

For each of
the fiscal years 2011 through 2015, at least 50 percent of the total Foundation
funds allocated to the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship
program and the Graduate Research Fellowship program shall come from funds
appropriated for Research and Related Activities.

(d)

Cost of
education allowance for GRF program

Section 10 of the National Science
Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1869) is amended—

(1)

by inserting
(a) before The Foundation is authorized;
and

(2)

by adding at the
end the following new subsection:

(b)

The Director shall establish for each year
the amount to be awarded for scholarships and fellowships under this section
for that year. Each such scholarship and fellowship shall include a cost of
education allowance of at least the lesser of $12,000 or the cost of education
at the institution in which the scholarship or fellowship recipient is
matriculated, subject to any restrictions on the use of cost of education
allowance as determined by the
Director.

Fellowships
may be awarded under this section for a period of up to 24 months in duration,
renewable for an additional 12 months. The Director shall establish criteria
for eligibility for renewal of the fellowship.

(2)

Stipend

The
Director shall determine the amount of the award for a fellowship, which shall
include a stipend and a research allowance, and may include an educational
allowance.

(3)

Location

A
fellowship shall be awarded for research at any institution of higher education
that offers degrees in fields supported by the Foundation, or at any
institution or organization that the Director determines is eligible for
education research grants from the Foundation.

(4)

Number of
awards

The Director may award up to 20 new fellowships per
year.

(c)

Research

Fellowships
under this section shall be awarded for research on STEM education at any
educational level, including grades K–12, undergraduate, graduate, and general
public education, in both formal and informal settings. Research topics may
include—

(1)

learning
processes;

(2)

knowledge
transfer, including curriculum development;

(3)

uses of technology
as teaching and learning tools;

(4)

integrating STEM
fields; and

(5)

student assessment
and program evaluation.

(d)

Eligibility

To
be eligible for a fellowship under this section, an individual must—

(1)

be a United States
citizen or national, or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for
permanent residence, at the time of application; and

(2)

have received a
doctoral degree in one of the STEM fields supported by the Foundation within 3
years prior to the fellowship application deadline.

303.

Robert Noyce teacher
scholarship program

(a)

Section 10
amendments

Section 10 of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1) is
amended—

(1)

in subsection
(c)(4), by striking Service required under this paragraph shall be
performed in a high-need local educational agency.; and

(2)

in subsection (c),
by adding at the end a new paragraph as follows:

(5)

Exception

The
period of service obligation under paragraph (4) shall be reduced by 1 year for
scholarship recipients whose service is performed in a high-need local
educational agency. The Director shall establish and maintain a central
clearinghouse of information on teaching opportunities available in high-need
local educational agencies throughout the United States, which shall be made
available to individuals having a service obligation under this
section.

.

(b)

Section 10A
amendments

Section 10A of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1a) is amended in subsection (h)(1)
by striking 50 and inserting 30.

304.

Institutions
serving persons with disabilities

For the purposes of the activities and
programs supported by the Foundation, institutions of higher education
chartered to serve large numbers of students with disabilities, including
Gallaudet University, Landmark College, and the National Technical Institute
for the Deaf, shall be designated as minority-serving institutions.

305.

Institutional
integration

(a)

Innovation
through institutional integration

The Director shall award grants
for the institutional integration of projects funded by the Foundation with a
focus on education or broadening participation in STEM by underrepresented
groups for the purpose of increasing collaboration and coordination across
funded projects and institutions and expanding the impact of such projects
within and among institutions of higher education in an innovative and
sustainable manner.

(b)

Program
activities

The program under this section shall support
integrative activities that involve the strategic and innovative combination of
Foundation-funded projects and that provide for—

(1)

additional
opportunities to increase the recruitment, retention, and degree attainment of
underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines;

(2)

the inclusion of
programming, practices, and policies that encourage the integration of
education and research;

(3)

seamless
transitions from one educational level to another; and

(4)

other activities
that expand and deepen the impact of Foundation-funded projects with a focus on
education or broadening participation in STEM by underrepresented groups and
enhance their sustainability.

(c)

Review
criteria

In selecting recipients of grants under this section,
the Director shall consider at a minimum—

(1)

the extent to
which the proposed project addresses the goals of project and program
integration and adds value to the existing funded projects;

(2)

the extent to
which there is a proven record of success for the existing projects on which
the proposed integration project is based; and

(3)

the extent to
which the proposed project addresses the modification of programming,
practices, and policies necessary to achieve the purpose described in
subsection (a).

(d)

Priority

In
selecting recipients of grants under this section, the Director shall give
priority to proposals for which a senior institutional administrator, including
a dean or other administrator of equal or higher rank, serves as the principal
investigator.

306.

Postdoctoral
research fellowships

(a)

In
general

The Director shall establish a Foundation-wide
postdoctoral research fellowship program, to award competitive, merit-based
postdoctoral research fellowships in any field of research supported by the
Foundation.

(b)

Duration and
amount

Fellowships may be awarded under this section for a period
of up to 3 years in duration. The Director shall determine the amount of the
award for a fellowship, which shall include a stipend and a research allowance,
and may include an educational allowance.

(c)

Eligibility

To
be eligible to receive a fellowship under this section, an individual—

(1)

must be a United
States citizen or national, or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States
for permanent residence, at the time of application;

(2)

must have received
a doctoral degree in any field of research supported by the Foundation within 3
years prior to the fellowship application deadline, or will complete a doctoral
degree no more than 1 year after the application deadline; and

(3)

may not have
previously received funding as the principal investigator of a research grant
from the Foundation, unless such funding was received as a graduate
student.

(d)

Priority

In
evaluating applications for fellowships under this section, the Director shall
give priority to applications that include—

(1)

proposals for
interdisciplinary research; or

(2)

proposals for
high-risk, high-reward research.

(e)

Additional
considerations

In evaluating applications for fellowships under
this section, the Director shall give consideration to the goal of promoting
the participation of individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science
and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).

(f)

Nonsubstitution

The
fellowship program authorized under this section is not intended to replace or
reduce support for postdoctoral research through existing programs at the
Foundation.

307.

Broadening
participation training and outreach

The Director shall provide education and
training—

(1)

to Foundation
staff and grant proposal review panels on effective mechanisms and tools for
broadening participation in STEM by underrepresented groups, including reviewer
selection and mitigation of implicit bias in the review process; and